Field of the Invention
The disclosed subject matter is in the field of corrugated packaging, which is widely used in the shipping industry to store or transport goods. This subject matter includes improvements to corrugated cardboard boxes for other packaging made of such materials as cellulose fibers or synthetic fiber mixtures) for transporting/shipping and storing products.
Background of the Invention
Cardboard box packaging is widely used for transporting goods through shipping companies and their networks. Such packaging is subject to stresses and other compressive pressures when such cardboard boxes are stacked or mishandled (e.g., dropped). These stresses/pressures can weaken the structural frame of the cardboard box, allowing greater likelihood of damage to the boxes contents when the cardboard boxes are mishandled or transported across long distances.
Often card board boxes are corrugated, which means each wall of the boxes is defined by a fluted sheet of paper-based material between two linerboards. Since the flutes of the cardboard boxes are paper-based material, corrugated cardboard boxes tend to get damaged easily (e.g., buckled or crushed), particularly when stacked under other packages/parcels with varying shapes and weights. Although a boxes' contents help prevent inward buckling/crushing via combatting compressive pressures, the contents at times get damaged in this supporting role. Thus, a need exists for mechanisms that combat compressive pressures caused by stacked packages or mishandling.
A limitation of corrugated cardboard boxes is that the compressive strength of the package lies in the corners of the boxes. In fact, the industry test to determine the strength of a cardboard box is determined and acknowledged through the Edge Crush Test. Without strong corners, tensile and compressive strength in the sides of the box are low unless the density of the flutes are increased via the layering of cardboard sidewalls or the addition of a loadbearing cardboard wall section. Layering and adding loadbearing walls entail the use of more material to construct the box, increasing the production cost of the box. Also, additional layers or load bearing walls also increase the tare weight of the packaging, which increases the shipping costs of the package. Thus, a need exists for mechanisms that combat compressive pressures caused by stacked packages or mishandling without the use of additional layering or load bearing walls.